Those of Eve
by Portugas D. Ace
Summary: The Long Night has set upon the lands for hundreds of years, and an ancient order is all that remains of restoring the once Eternal Dawn. They are Those of Eve.
_"We are Those of Eve,_

 _Sworn to defend the lands against the terrors of night,_

 _Those of the Firstborn,_

 _Who walk without the sins of their lives before,_

 _Those who shield light inner and hold it tightly,_

 _To keep hope alive among the people of their own,_

 _To bear no bonds of family or loved ones,_

 _Sworn to their duty until their death,_

 _They are Those of Eve."_

* * *

"These are te' sacr'd words passed 'mongst them, and te' hart they keepst them," the old man murmured to the boy, his lips cracked dry and quivering, a pure whiteness coloring his eyes, "as for long as each child drawst breath, a duty they must hold til their ownst end comeths."

A cacophony of snapping ringed the boy's ears as the old man stretched his arm across the ground, his pointed fingertips feeling for something hidden away from his sight. Footsteps approached, offbeat from the pattering of rain on the mismatched stone street, and as they drew closer, the boy sprinted off as the old man continued to pry about the ground. The old man sighed in relief as he felt a circular metal between his bony fingers, drawing it close to his chest.

"Is thou here to listen to an ancient story of forgotten promises?" The old man chuckled, the toothless grin of his mouth showing widely to the stranger. "Those of the Firstborn, who shield light inner... I cannot say I last remember the time there'd been a sun to warmth us all."

The stranger moved his hand to the old man's shoulder, and shortly after listened as the breath escaped the latter, a short metal blade driven deep into his chest. Blood pooled out from the old man's chest and mouth as the stranger twisted the blade, his ruby red eyes watching intently as the figure beneath him ceased his squirming. Plucking the coin from the deceased's hand, the stranger moved back, examining it within the moonlight. He saw a depiction of a great wolf imprinted on the coin, and as he flipped it over, he saw three words written in a forgotten tongue, but one he knew:

 _"Those of Eve."_

As blood mixed with water, seeping down the stony street and between the stranger's bare toes, he sheathed his dagger and pockted the coin, his ruby red eyes now staring down the long empty alleyway, the noise of rain drops alone by themselves.

* * *

The wagon creaked along the dirt path, the stomping of horses beating against the ground the only sound to break the silence between the rider and the driver. Occasionally, the latter would peek back at the rider and attempt to make conversation, but mostly decided to remain mute. The hood of the rider covered most of his face, bar from the lower half of his pale, fair skinned chin and neck, the rest of his body hidden in a cloak. The moon beamed brightly this day, giving the driver enough sight to see any sort of inconveniences ahead of them.

The driver once again peered his head back slightly, drawing out a long winded sigh. "This road just gets rougher by the days, don't it?" he chirped, adding a nervous laugh after his comment. "If the king could send men to fix the damned thing, we wouldn't be behind schedule, ay?"

Silence was the rider's reply, and to which the driver acknowledged so, frowning slightly. He peered his eyes ahead and spotted something seated on the road ahead, and the driver began digging around in his luggage beside him, pulling out a small bird. He patted it softly and tossed it upwards, the bird springing to life, a glow emitting from it. "Aye, light ahead, go!" The bird dashed forward and gave sight to its surroundings as it did so, eventually reaching the aforementioned obstacle. To the driver's surprise, the figure snatched the bird from the air and crushed it between it's hand, rising now as the carriage drew closer.

"Is that you, traitor?" The voice called out, his voice coarse and toughened, years having worn it down. "Hidden away like the coward you are? Will you not do me the least honor you can and come greet me?"

The driver reined the horses and halted them, the figure ahead now apparent to them: he towered over the the carriage and horses, his hair blue and sharply brushed upwards. Scars lined his face and chest, as well as most of his arms, as his upper body remained exposed to them, combat being the only answer to what could have caused his disfigurement. He had a red sash around his waist, the color dirtied and barely recognizable, with brown pants tucked into his boots. In his right hand was the hilt of a long, slender but massive blade, the gold color shining from the moonlight.

"Oi, you best leave now," the disfigured man called out to the driver, grinning. "It's going to get really not-pretty in a minute here."

Without any hesitation, the driver quickly unfastened the bindings to one of the horses and leapt onto its back, galloping ahead past the man, leaving the rider behind, seated on the carriage still. With only a few breaths exchanged between the two, the man jumped forward and crashed his massive blade onto the carriage, splitting it in two, freeing the other horse that remained fastened. His eyes darted around as the cloak of the rider laid beneath the massive blade, his arms lifting it and swinging it around to clash with a smaller blade, the rider now behind him, hovering above slightly.

The man shoved the rider backwards and pulled his own blade back, his face still grinning widely. "You remember me, traitor? Ike, the fourth son of Eve." The rider's own appearance was now revealed to the moonlight as well, as he remained hidden no longer by his cloak: his silver hair swayed alongside his quick movement, with a long black cape attached to his silver and black colored armor. His feet remained bare, and his black gloved hands gripped tightly on the dagger, poising himself as he circled around Ike, his ruby red eyes fixated on his opponent's movements.

"You lead us on quite the journey, you know," Ike said calmly, hoisting the massive blade onto his shoulder, resting it there. "From Begnion to Ylisse, we chased after our traitorous brother, only to realize you had been back home all this time. You must know this begs the question of _why_ you returned here in the first place? You had to of known we'd be back."

The rider dart forward and immediately spun upwards and over Ike as he swung his blade forward, the dagger driving itself deep into Ike's right shoulder after being thrown from the rider. Ike grunted slightly, plucking it out and looking around for his target, realizing only after it was too late that he had escaped upwards into the trees above. The rider came downwards onto Ike, driving a hideous deformed blade into his back, blood splurting out from Ike's mouth, his legs collapsing as he fell to his knees. The rider plucked his blade out, darting backwards quickly, remaining on his toes, as he watched the figure ahead writhe about.

Blue flames suddenly emerged from the wounds Ike had succumbed to, reaching out of him like tall, sprawling arms, with clawed hands reaching around, finding their grasp on Ike's body. The flames engulfed his body, and only moments after, an unearthly sound roared out from Ike, the man hunched over like some sort of beast as the flames continued to coat his entire body, hiding all of it beneath them. The flames cackled wildly as the formed the shape of a giant wolf, the creature turning to face the rider, bright white eyes glaring at him. The beast plucked the massive slender blade that once belonged to Ike into its mouth and moved slowly towards the rider.

" **YOU COULD HAVE COME BACK IN ONE PIECE HAD YOU NOT DONE THAT,** " the beast roared at the rider. " **THEY WILL UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS YOU WILL ONLY BE SEEN IN PIECES!** "

The beast charged at the rider with a speed that nearly caught the rider off guard, both the massive blade and the hideous blade clashing against one another. The rider knew he wouldn't be able to hold against the beast for long, and thus he pulled back quickly, letting the beast swing once more only for the rider to duck underneath the massive swipe. He swung the hideous blade at the beast's throat, swiping across and dragging blue blood out from the beast's neck, scattering it among the ground. The beast roared, only to swipe its blade across the lines of its blue blood, causing it to immediately ignite into more blue flames.

" **HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THE VOWS YOU SWORE? THE BREAD YOU BROKE AMONG THE REST OF US?!** " the beast cried out, swiping madly at the rider, blood continuing to pour out from its throat, only to become ignited immediately. " **YOU WERE NOT ONLY A SON OF EVE... YOU WERE ONE OF US!** "

As the beast continued to frenzy, the rider carefully and precisely danced around its rampage, poking holes into the beast's body as he dodged its strikes, one after the other. The previously dimly lit path was now lit brightly by blue flames, the same blue flames now engulfing the trees and stone surrounding them. The rider positioned himself in front of the beast, watching as it charged at him madly, the rider rearing his right arm back. As the beast swung its blade across, the rider once again ducked underneath, this time plunging his arm into the open slit of the beast's throat, yanking out from it a still beating heart.

Blue flames danced around the rider's arm, his black glove and white armor and most of the flesh on his arm burnt off, but the flames soon died off, along with the rest of them, as the beast slumped over, its own flames now dispersing back into one. Ike's body soon reappeared where the beast was just seated, and he panted as the last bit of blue flame shot back into his back, his hand clutched over his chest. His eyes moved upwards to meet with the rider's own eyes, and he gasped for air, his other hand reaching out towards the rider.

"M-My... wolf's h-heart!" Ike cried out, blood slowly oozing down his lips. "Y-You can't!"

The rider chomped his teeth around the beating heart, blue blood squirting out from his lips as he consumed it one bite after the other. As he finished it, the same blue colored blood dripped down his chin and his hand, dripping onto the dirt path below, a loud thud coming from ahead of him as Ike collapsed on the ground. The rider stared down at his burnt arm, watching as blue flames returned to surround it, only this time healing his flesh as he clenched his fist.

* * *

His ruby red eyes stared at the two gold coins, one of a wolf and one of a knight, his fingers twisting and turning them as he remained seated. The building was silent, and small rays of light from the moon beamed in, through the dim green-colored stained glass windows. Rows of pews lined throughout the hollowed and empty church, each of them bare aside from the one orant boy who rested, twiddling two coins between his fingers. His attention seemed fixated on those two coins, even refusing to break focus as the sounds of footsteps entered the building, two pairs accompanying one another.

"Are you hoping that you can find salvation here, after all you've done," a female voice called out, stern in her words, "or perhaps you just knew Roy and I would find you here?"

"If you meant to escape us, you've done a terrible job at it," Roy replied, youth in his words, the same of that of his female counterpart's. "You've got the blood of your brother on your hands and you sit here, what, mocking Eve?"

The girl had silver hair, tied in two ponytails, her eyes dull in color, her body covered with a deep purple and black robe. Roy had on a solid black chest piece with a blue scarf wrapped around his neck, with silver pants tucked into his own boots. At his side was a lavishly decorated blade, still sheathed, his right arm resting on it, his red hair long but not covering his face due to a blue headband keeping it tucked away from his eyes. They continued past the orant boy and stood before the massive painting at the front of the long room, a woman depicted on it.

The girl looked up at it, her face remaining without expression, Roy turning around to face the orant boy. The girl's eyes glanced over the painting, her eyes closing shut afterwards. "You really would have us spill blood in front of Eve," she asked, her hands clasped together. "Have you become that lost from us, brother?"

"The time for words is long gone, Robin," Roy said, drawing his blade out from its sheath, his movements now slowly coming towards the orant man. "He has broken his vows and slayed one of our own; he is **no** brother of mine!" Red flames danced along Roy's ornate blade, and he slashed his blade from below to the skies, a large flaming slash shooting out from it, towards the orant boy. The wooden pews instantly collapsed beneath the weight of the attack as it crossed them, and as it reached the orant boy, it was halted, the hideous blade now revealed.

"Ganglari!" Robin gasped, plucking her own blade out from underneath her robe, the blade zigzagging in the shape of a lightening bolt. "Why do you possess the accursed blade?!"

The orant boy leapt from his pew and spun in the air, several small daggers firing off from him. Roy easily deflected most of them, shielding himself and Robin safe from the attack as Robin swung her blade around, a ball of lightening forming around the tip of the blade. She flung it towards the orant man, the ball erupting into several lines of lightening, cackling through the air, shooting forth faster than any of them could even blink. To her surprise, the bolts came flinging back towards her, and both her and Roy ducked as one crashed at their previous location, blue flames remaining at the impact site.

"No..." Roy whimpered, his eyes fixated on the blue flames, anger rising through his body as his hand clenched his blade. "You... you killed Ike? YOU KILLED HIM?! **TRAITOR!** " Roy dashed ahead and swung his blade towards the orant boy as he came landing, both of them clashing blades with one another. Blue flames shot out from the hideous blade, with red flames shooting off of Roy's own blade in response. Both of the flames consumed one another, and the two remained locked in their position, neither gaining an advantage over the other. Roy eventually pulled back as he heard Robin's voice from behind him, ducking as another bolt of lightening came soaring at the orant boy.

He raised Ganglari up and held it tightly as the bolt connected, wrapping around the twisted sword, almost appearing consumed by it. He spun and shot his blade forward, sending the blue flame-coated bolt straight back at Robin who this time did not move quick enough, her body flying backwards and crashing against the wall, her body covered by blue flames now. Roy returned to clash blades with the orant boy, moving his right hand off his blade and quickly into his coat, plucking from it one of the orant boy's own daggers from earlier. He pierced it into the orant boy's chest, a cry emitting from him as he pulled away.

Before the orant boy could react further, a silk web shot forth and strung his right arm to his body, rendering it immobile. As he turned his gaze past Roy, he saw a bolt of lightening shoot towards him, this time unable to react fast enough as it struck him, sending charges surging throughout his body. Roy followed up the attack with another flame slash, the attack wrapping around the orant boy's body and igniting it, the two attacks erupting in a fury that was sent roaring throughout the cathedral. Smoke billowed out from the orant man, and Roy turned to gaze upon the transformed Robin.

A large spider, its body glowing brightly as lightening churned throughout, stood where Robin had stood previously, with her body now instead sticking out from atop of the spider's back. Her robe was gone and all that remained was her bare body, naked to the green glow of the moonlight and her own lightening glow. She still clenched her blade her in hand, and her hair was no longer done in ponytails, but rather, flowed out freely.

 _"Hiis_ _boddyy,_ " Robin called out, her voice distorted, almost as if it echoed a hundred times over, "y _you havve tto rretriieve hhis heaart!_ "

Roy nodded and moved towards the orant boy, only to be flung backwards and past Robin, her eyes worriedly watching Roy, turning to look forward at what sent him flying. The orant boy stood and emerged from the smoke, his body covered in a pristine and elegant green-glowing armor, save for a small notch in his chest where the dagger from earlier had pierced him. Ganglari was clenched tightly in his hand, and he stared at Robin, his red eyes hidden away by the visor of the armor.

Robin screamed out in fury, lightening surging throughout the ground, towards the orant boy. " _YYOOUU SSTOLLEE HHIM FFROOM MEE! YOUU WWEARR HIIS AARRMOOR ONN YYOURR TRAAITOOR SSKIINN!_ " As the lightening reached the orant boy, the spider now quickly leapt overhead and came crashing down on top of him, the orant boy now holding Ganglari upwards to fend back the clawing and biting from the furious spider. The lightening from before reached them both, but failed to pierce through the green armor of the orant boy, instead returning inside the spider.

He shoved the spider off, driving Ganglari forwards, the spider knocking the blade back with its legs. Despite its enormous size, it moved fast, much faster than the orant boy had expected, and before long another web began to spin around him, first his legs, followed by his arms. The web grew tighter and tighter, and before long he couldn't so much as move his head, Ganglari too tangled among the silk. The spider returned to the front of him and immediately began clawing at his chest, eventually finding that small opening in his armor.

Fangs and claws combined, the spider began chipping pieces off of the armor, bit by bit, while the orant boy struggled to free himself, unable to do anything but watch as the spider ravaged his chest. As soon as the opening became wide enough, the spider lowered itself, now Robin remaining on the same level as the orant boy. With fury and madness in her eyes, she sent her arm reaching into that gap, the orant boy twisting and turning in any way possible he could as Robin's own arm twisted and turned inside him.

" _TTHISS ISS WWHAATT YOOUU DDIID TTO HHIIM, IISN'TT IITT? YYOOU TORRTUUREED HIIMM BEEFOOREE RRIPPINNG THHE SSOOUL OUTT FFROMM HIIMM!_ " Slowly, Robin began pulling her arm back, the orant boy finally crying out in pain, his arms slowly ripping apart the webbing around him. " _II WAANTT YOOUU TTOO WAATCHH AAS I CCONNSUUMME ITT AAS YYOOUU DIDD TTOO HHIMM!_ " However, before Robin could fully remove his heart, she gasped, releasing his heart as she turned her head to glance behind her.

Roy had driven his blade into her back and now his arm dug deep into her body, immediately yanking out from it a beating heart. The spider quickly vanished as she plopped to the ground, naked and shivering, her chest panting as her eyes watched with confusion as Roy began consuming her own heart. She screamed out, but it became silent soon after as her body fell down, motionless, the heart now gone as yellow blood dripped from his lips. The webbing disappeared from around the orant boy and he quickly retrieved Ganglari, holding it poised towards Roy, watching him carefully.

"I couldn't have her take you from me, nooo not this time," Roy said, pulling his blade across his arm, cutting deep into it. "It was bad enough you had killed them, but to consume their own souls as well? Especially Ike's?! We are sworn to hold no value in family or loved ones, but I couldn't give two shits about those vows. I had loved him, and to find out you had taken him away from me?" Red blood pooled out from Roy's arm, his eyes still fixated on the orant boy. "I want Eve to watch every second of this. I want her to see the **things** I am going to do to you."

The red blood began swirling beneath Roy, twisting and churning as it slowly engulfed him entirely. The blood continued to rise higher and higher, eventually towering even the arches of the cathedral, the body of the twisting figure massive as it was enormous. Slowly, fire began darting across the body, almost like scales, reaching all the way to the top of the creature, eventually Roy's upper body clawing out from the top. Fire now coated the blood, and with it they both dripped down below, the creature now resembling a giant serpent.

" _I will twissst your body in two..._ " Roy hissed out, the serpent slowly surrounding the orant boy. " _I want to hear you sssscream again assss you did for her. I want you to sssuffer like Ike did!_ "

In an instant, the serpent collapsed inwards, the orant boy swiftly leaping upwards to avoid the grasp. Roy turned to face him and dashed forward, his arms transformed into massive fangs, fire spewing out from them. They pinched shut at nothingness as the orant boy dropped below, sending Ganglari into the hide of the flaming serpent, dashing across the massive body. He rolled off and darted backwards as the serpent's tail came swiping across, crashing into the side of the cathedral, sending the wall crumbling downwards. The roof shuttered from the impact and slowly pieces from it too began to fall, with Roy now turning back around to face the orant boy.

Flames shot out from Roy's arms, covered in lightening, swiftly crashing into the ground around the orant boy. From those spots, red flames further continued to spread out from them, lightening too now dashing across the ground in different directions. The orant boy rolled around and evaded each of them, keeping his gaze on the massive serpent as it came slithering towards him. Not wanting to remain trapped within the cathedral, the orant boy ducked from another tail swipe, diving outside the massive gap the serpent had created earlier.

More flames shot out from Roy, the orant boy avoiding them with ease as he began scaling the outside of the cathedral, climbing up the crumbling walls. The flames stuck to the walls and slowly melted the stonework, but for the orant boy, all it did was allow for easily access up the walls. As he reached the top, he dashed ahead and found an opening in the roof, right above Roy. His emerald armor still glowing fiercely, he clutched Ganglari as he descended down the hole, towards Roy. The latter refused to move, instead challenging the orant boy's attack with his own.

Ganglari found its way into Roy's chest, but before it could continue further, Roy's own hands found their way inside the orant boy's emerald chest piece. Slowly, the flames began melting away the armor, and Roy grinned widely, ignoring his own chest being ripped open by the hideous blade. " _Thossse of the Firsssstborn, who walk without the sssinss of their livess before... Do you remember thessse linesss, traitor?_ " Roy's hands continued to delve deeper and deeper into the orant boy's chest, Roy's face still glowing with joy. " _I want you to remember our entire vowsss, jussst before I end you. I'll sssimply tell the othersss that you had killed Robin assss well... they'll believe me._ "

However, despite his searching, Roy's face quickly turned from joy to rage as his hands remained empty still, after digging so deep into his chest. " _WHERE ISSS IT?!"_ Roy shrieked, plucking his hands out from the orant boy's chest. As he did, he allowed for his opponent to be free from his grasp, Ganglari now sliding down from his chest all the way down to the base of the serpent's body. Roy howled in pain, with the orant boy holding a beating heart in his hands, backing away slowly from the now vanishing serpent. Roy fell to the ground, his chest torn in half, his eyes full of tears and blood as he stared coldly at the orant boy.

"H-How... what d-did you-" Before Roy could continue, his words were cut off by the consumption of his heart, his voice disappearing from his body as he slumped over beside the body of his former companion. The emerald armor now vanished from the orant boy as well, his body falling backwards, exhausted. He immediately pulled himself upwards as he realized the cathedral was still collapsing, dodging the falling debris before turning back to face the two fallen others once more. He dashed over towards their bodies and plucked from them two more golden coins, escaping the cathedral as it finally succumbed to the battle.

* * *

"Your essentially nothing but a glorified bodyguard for the king," the small creature spoke aloud. His body was round and small, in the shape of a ball, and it was colored a dark blue. On his back was a blue cape, with a white cuff at the top of it, the cape hemmed with gold. He had on blue pauldrons that too were hemmed with gold, and on the front side of his body was a large white menacing looking mask, with a downward slanted opening to reveal two yellow glowing eyes. "Do you not desire a better life than the one you've shackled yourself to now?"

"Um, not really I suppose," the boy replied, munching on a small rice cake. "I knew what I was going to be getting into when I swore my vows."

"Vows to do what? Defend against the night?" The creature retorted. "The Long Night has been afflicting these lands since before either of us were born into this world. The only light that remains is that of the moon, am I wrong?"

The boy finished off his snack, rubbing his free hand on his head, befuddled. "I mean, I guess you're technically not wrong. We have been in a long night for hundreds of years... but that doesn't diminish the honor you have from serving alongside Those of Eve! Our order is one of an ancient decree, and the gifts we were given-"

"Spare yourself. I've heard this enough times from your 'brothers'," the creature said, waving his hand dismissively. "Gods, you're as boring as the others. I had hoped Altea's newest recruit might be of some interest. But now I see you're just like the others." He began to waddle away, his cape dragging along the ground, listening as he heard the boy now stand up quickly and chase after him.

"Now, hold on!" the boy shouted. "While we might just be 'glorified bodyguards' for His Majesty for now, when the time comes that the sunlight begins to dawn on us once more, we, Those of Eve, will be the ones responsible for restoring the light to its glory! We will be the ones who bring the light back and end this hundred year night our ancestors and their ancestors before them had been cursed with."

"And just how do you plan to do this?"

The boy paused, pulling out from his pocket a small gold coin, a dragon depicted on it. He clutched it within his hand and closed his eyes, reciting the words of a vow of an ancient order...

"We are Those of Eve... Sworn to defend the lands against the terrors of night... Those of the Firstborn... Who walk without the sins of their lives before..."

As he recited the vows, the creature stepped in front of him, holding a blade sheathed in a thick black guard, listening intently to ever word the boy uttered. As he finished, his eyes opened to see the creature standing before him, his cape now wings extending far across. The creature held out the black guard, and the boy, while confused, grabbed it from him, pulling it close to himself, his eyes darting between the sword and the creature.

"The sun will come again, I promise you this. And it will come sooner than anticipated."

"How do you know this?" The boy asked curiously, still clutching tightly onto the blade. The creature flapped his wings once, lifting his body upwards, placing himself between the boy and his sight of the moon. At that moment, the boy felt a sort of frightened feeling overcome him, one he had never felt his entire life, one he never imagined to feel after swearing himself to Those of Eve. His hands trembled as he tried to keep his grasp on the black guard tight, his knees wavering and attempting to buckle beneath himself.

"I am the father of your brothers and sisters who call themselves Those of Eve. I am the other half of the maiden Eve herself, the First Arm of the Guard and the first of those to swear my loyalty to defending the land against the night. I brought with me the Long Night those hundred years ago, and I plan to bring back the Eternal Dawn all the same. I was the one who brought you here today, for I know you hold a great power within you that your other brothers and sisters wouldn't be able to harness."

"Y-Your... the father?! You..." the boy's ruby red eyes staring straight at the creature.

"I am the Adam of Those of Eve. I am Meta Knight, the Firstborn."

* * *

The traveler reached the edge of the crypt, his eyes glancing over the etchings in the stone entrance. Symbols of moon and stars covered one side, while another remained hidden beneath a thick moss. The traveler rubbed his hand across the moss, his hand revealing what he had suspected his weary ruby red eyes would see beneath it: a sun, radiantly beaming over a land, the light piercing through the ground and the seas and the mountains all the same. His silver hair now draped over his eyes, and he gazed ahead, down the entrance of the crypt, waiting minutes before entering.

Flames were lit alongside the pathway, stairs descending downwards, spiraling lower and lower for what seemed to be ages. The stonework of the stairs and the path were ancient, as old as an order that had once taken place beneath here, now only memories of the forgotten remaining. His pocket now made enough noise to remind the traveler of his deeds, four golden coins clashing fiercely amongst each other. Along with the sounds of the coins, the traveler heard another clashing from deep below, one that slowly made its way up the steps, the sound of metal clashing against metal.

As the traveler reached the bottom of the steps, an enormous room now awaited before him, and within it the echoing of clashing ringing from corner to corner, two figures striking at one another, one a man, another a girl. Both of them wore blue hair, one short, one long, and both of them were garbed in blue tunics and boots. Their blades were fine and sharp, the wind surrounding them sliced open from just one slash. As the traveler approached them, the girl cried out fiercely, driving her blade deep into the chest of the man, a grunt sounding from him as she plucked her blade out, a heart skewered on it.

Her blue eyes now turned to look upon the traveler, then towards the heart, and back towards the traveler as she began to consume the heart, purple blood dripping from her lips. She refused to turn away from the traveler as she finished the heart, a gurgling sound emitting from her throat as she swallowed the last bits of it. Her body shook violently for only a moment before she held her fine blade in front of her, her chest panting.

"It's just us then," she asked, throwing down two golden coins, one with a boar on it, the other an angel. "We're all that remains of Those of Eve."

The traveler responded by throwing down his own four golden coins: the knight, the wolf, the spider, and the serpent. His tired eyes met her own exhausted eyes, and his face frowned as he drew Ganglari out, his blade now matching the same poise as that of the blue-haired girl. She slightly chuckled, a weak smile drawn across her face, one that the traveler matched with his own.

"Who would of thought the two runts would outlast the rest of our order," she said, smiling still. "Was it fate that determined this? Or did we alter the course of history for good? Did we change the outcome of the future- for best or for worst- for the rest of the world?"

* * *

"W-Wait, stop! Stop this in-instant!" The prince cried out, his green garbs soaked with the blood of his father, his arms still clutched around the cold body of the king. "You d-do n-not h-have to do t-this! I-I-I w-will pack up and l-leave immediately!" His golden hair was tied and twisted in a mess as he pulled himself away from his father's body, now reaching for the heirloom sword that laid resting for hundreds of years. His hand reached as high as it would go before stopping suddenly, a fine blade pierced through it.

The prince turned to face the blue haired girl, his face scowling in pain as the girl torn his hand clean off with one swipe, the prince's other hand clutching the stump that was once his hand. " **Why are you DOING THIS?!** " he cried out, backing up as much as he could before bumping into the throne chair. " **YOU SWORE TO DEFEND MY FAMILY FROM HARM!** "

"I swore to protect the lands from the terror of night," the girl calmly replied, rearing her sword back. "And I am finally doing just that."

* * *

Ganglari and the Falchion, the fine blade of Lucina, both came clashing against one another, one of the hideous night and the other of the glory of dawn. Neither of them drew from their blood and awoke their powers, instead utilizing only the ability of their true skill; their swordsmanship, the one ability that was truly passed down from the first break of Dawn to the everlasting days of the Long Night. Both of them fought with differing tactics: the traveler relied on his brute force and swift, powerful blows to crush his opponent's guard, while Lucina focused on slow, precise strikes that came piercing and deflecting her opponent's own.

Eventually, one or the other would tire, yet it seemed that neither of them intended to ever grow weary. Their arms continued to swing their blades, their hands remaining tightly griped to their swords. The legs continued to move, and their eyes never leaving the sight of one another, their blows trading between rash and fierce to careful and calculated. Lucina dreamed to bring back the Eternal Dawn, the light that was once promised to be defended by Those of Eve; the traveler, however...

* * *

Corrin plunged the black blade deep into Meta Knight's chest, piercing through his mask, the latter in disbelief, unable to comprehend the actions that were happening. His hands gripped the blade, but they did nothing as Corrin twisted the blade deeper and deeper into his body, eventually poking the sword out from the other side of him. As Corrin pulled the blade out from Meta Knight's body, darkness enveloped the black blade, and Corrin watched as it began to twist and become deformed, turning into the blade known today as Ganglari.

"Y-You w-were to b-be the promised c-child..." Meta Knight stuttered as black blood pooled our from his body. "H-How c-could I n-not s-see y-your d-darkness?!"

* * *

 _"We are Those of Eve,_

Lucina darted backwards, avoiding another round of Corrin's heavy attacks, her body nearly at its limits. She held her blade up, poised and ready to counterattack, but as Corrin came swinging at her, she lost her footing, slipping beneath Corrin's wide attack and falling to the ground. She looked up, only to see Ganglari coming straight down on to her head, rolling out of the way just nearly in time. She knew, although she didn't want to admit it, she wasn't going to hold against him much longer. She had to end it soon.

 _Sworn to defend the lands against the terrors of night,_

As Corrin sent another strike towards her, she twisted the Falchion in such a manner than parried against the great twisted hideous blade, sending both swords flying away from the impact. As Lucina watched the two blades clash against the ground, she failed to notice Corrin charging her down, a dagger in his hand, digging it deep into her breast. Lucina cried out, now turning her attention to Corrin, who continued to dig away at her with the dagger, relentless in his pursuit. Lucina responded with chomping her teeth around Corrin's neck, ripping apart flesh and veins, a silver blood pooling out over her body.

 _Those of the Firstborn,_

Regardless, Corrin continued to dig, now reaching his hand within her chest, a white aura glowing from within. Lucina continued to claw at his face, her own arm now sinking deep into the wound she had torn into Corrin. Both of them had grabbed the other's heart, and at the same time, plucked them from their owner's body, Corrin flinging himself off of Lucina and rolling backwards. Lucina turned her attention to the grail that remained seated just a few feet away from her, slowly crawling towards it, Corrin's heart still beating in her hand.

 _Who walk without the sins of their lives before,_

Her eyes remained fixated on the grail ahead, her mission nearly accomplished. Despite the deaths of the others of her order, she knew their sacrifices led to this, their hope for restoring the Eternal Dawn. Ahead of her laid the key to ending the Long Night. It's what she knew she had to do.

 _Those who shield light inner and hold it tightly,_

Alas, in truth, it was not truly known whether it would bring the end of the Long Night.

 _To keep hope alive among the people of their own,_

But she refused to hesitate.

 _To bear no bonds of family or loved ones,_

Even as her sight dulled and she felt weaker and weaker.

 _Sworn to their duty until their death,_

She had to end the Long Night.

 _They are Those of Eve."_


End file.
